Lowest percentage of young workers since WWII!

I just read an article about how we have the lowest percentage of young Americans working since World War II. It was eye opening!

Young people have been conditioned that if you do well in school, go to college, and get a degree or certificate, you will be able to find a great job, make lots of money, and live the American dream. It is very disheartening to graduate and then find a job that pays minimum wage or just above minimum when you just worked your butt off for 4, 5, or 6 years.

Read the article to find out what they say about it. Many people are moving back in with their parents. There were some interesting comments below the article, take a moment and read them. Now is the time to plan for a job. Are they hiring in your field? What can you do with your degree? What are you going to do if you can't find a job?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/battered-downturn-young-americans-put-off-adulthood-160406776.html

For further reading, see if you can find Adam Shepard's book, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. I'm sorry to say that the library does not own a copy of the book, but you can get it through interlibrary loan.

Obsolete Occupations -- What Might be Next?

Time's passage brings with it many changes:

• Advanced technologies become commonplace.
• Medical discoveries enhance people's well-being.
• Professions never before imagined become everyday occupations.
• Occupations that once employed many people become extinct.

A glimpse into occupations that no longer exist is provided by the NPR article "The Jobs Of Yesteryear: Obsolete Occupations." This interactive, slideshow article offers photographs and descriptions of 12 by-gone professions, as well as several recordings of folk reflecting on "those oft-forgotten jobs."

The article also prompts some interesting questions:

• What changes might the future hold?
• Which of today's professions might be headed for extinction?
• Any ideas?

Linked In and Twitter For Your Job Search

On Monday, November 16, from 5:30 to 6:30 Career Services and the Dick Smith Library will hold a joint presentation on using LinkedIn and Twitter to aid your job search. The presentation will be held in the Library Instruction Classroom # 139, which is on the main floor next to the Student Lounge.

LinkedIn is an online service that allows you to post your work history, connect with current and former co-workers, and to advertise your job experience to potential employers. You can recommend and be recommended by others, and build a network of contacts.

Twitter is a popular micro-blogging service where you can instantly post and receive brief updates, links, pictures and videos. You can also follow and be followed by other Twitter users, as well as building a network of online contacts.

Both services are free.

Find out more about how to wield these powerful tools in your job search by coming to the presentation on November 16. Questions? Call Career Services at (254) 968-9078.

More information:

Youtube tutorial: "What is LinkedIn?"
Youtube tutorial: "Twitter in Plain English"

Top Ten Tuesday - Gobbledygook

An article in this past Sunday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram, in the "Work & Money" section, quoted recruiter and resume expert Dirk Spencer on "kisses of death" "fluff-filled phrases" to avoid in resumes because "We never search on these words, and they waste space you need." Here, in no particular order, are ten that recent college graduates might want to avoid in their resumes:

• results-oriented
• team player
• hands-on technician
• strategic thinker
• tactical thinker
• utilize
• duties
• decisive
• dynamic
• high energy
• powerful

Gobbledygook Grader can help you find other jargon and overused words and phrases that often lack specific meaning. [Hint: you don't have to enter an e-mail address to have the gobbledygook identified in the text you enter.] It's based on a study done by marketing strategist David Meerman Scott of over 700,000 press releases done by businesses in 2008. See this report from Dow Jones Insight.

Facebook & Privacy: Using One & Protecting the Other

We've all read or heard stories about the many ways Facebook postings have created social, professional, and economic havoc for people. Usually this causes us to wonder how we can avoid the same consequences.

One source of help is Tarleton's Career Services, which offers "Cleaning Up Your Digital Dirt" presentations. You can get more information by visiting Career Services (TSC 218) or calling their office (254-968-9078).

Another source of information is Nick O'Neill's 2-2-09 article "10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know" on AllFacebook (The Unofficial Facebook Resource). In this article, O’Neill offers a how-to guide for protecting your privacy on Facebook by controlling access to information.

A third source is the "Social Networks & Privacy" post on LOL, which offers links to articles about Facebook, employers, and employment.

Questions at Semester's End

When a semester ends, questions often appear on the horizon:
~ Is finishing my degree worth the time and expense?
~ Should I consider getting a masters degree?
~ Should I change my major before next semester?
~ When I finally graduate, will I be able to find a job?

Many resources are available to help you find answers to these questions:

• Career Services (254-968-9078) offers useful resources:
  -- My Plan @ Career Services (http://tarleton.myplan.com/) offers assessment tests to help you determine your career interests and "best fits" in career choices.
  -- Tarleton Connection http://www.tarleton.edu/connection/ offers job postings for full or part-time employment opportunities both on and off campus.

• Tarleton Libraries (254-968-9249) also offer helpful resources:
  -- Databases like Business Source Complete and Business & Company Resource Center let you find articles about specific companies and industries, industry and career trends, current events, legal news, and more.
  -- Legal databases like Lexis-Nexis Academic and Westlaw Campus let you look up court cases, business news, company financial reports, and industry reports.
  -- Current periodicals (in the databases and on the library shelves) can help you keep up with trends in your field, current research, job postings, conferences, etc.

• The United States government also offers useful information:
  -- The Bureau of Labor Statistics offers the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which lets you learn about careers available in various fields, job descriptions and requirements, salary expectations, and job markets for each state.

Congratulations on finishing another semester! Remember that answers are sometimes just a mouse click or phone call away.

Social Networks & Privacy

Much has been said and written about social networking (Facebook, blogs, MySpace, etc.) regarding privacy concerns (personal safety, identity theft, etc.). Lately, these conversations have focused on another topic -- the effects that online activities can have on employment (current and future).

Several campus venues have been used to inform the Tarleton community about these effects. For example, Career Services in the Division of Student Life has offered workshops, seminars, and presentations about "cleaning up digital dirt."

The articles listed below provide more information about this timely topic. Take a look.

• How Blogging and Social Networking Can Impact Your Job Search


• Employers Are Viewing Your Profile on Social Networking Sites
  
• Employers Using Facebook for Background Checking: Is It Legal?
  
• How to Use Facebook Without Losing Your Job Over It

Those with degrees still enroll!

These days, thousands of people who enroll in community college programs already have four-year degrees — or more — in hand. Almost 11,000 students pursuing an associate's degree or a diploma in the N.C. Community College System in 2006 had a bachelor's degree. More than 2,500 students had a master's degree or higher. The reason for pursuing another degree is usually related to job marketability.

Read more at:http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070625/NEWSREC0101/70624001

Diplomas Count

A new report published in Education Week looks at the skills required to get jobs in every state and concludes that, at both the state and national level, people need to complete at least some college to earn a decent wage.

The report bases such findings on an analysis of data from two sources: a U.S. Department of Labor database that classifies jobs based on the education, training, and experience that they require, and U.S. Census Bureau statistics showing how many people work in various types of jobs and how much they earn.

"At both national and state levels, our research shows that a high-school diploma alone is not sufficient for students to access the jobs that will provide a real future and to thrive in our economy," said Christopher B. Swanson, who conducted the analysis as director of a research center affiliated with the newspaper.

In other findings, the report estimates that about 30 percent of ninth graders fail to graduate from high school with their peers four years later. For black males, the four-year graduation rate is 46 percent; for Hispanic males, it's 52 percent.

Based on an examination of state policies, the report says that just 11 states define what students should know and be able to do to be prepared for credit-bearing courses in college, and 14 states are working on a definition. Twenty-two states require high schools to administer exit examinations, while three others plan to do so. The number of states basing their exit exams on standards set at the 10th-grade level or higher has risen from six in 2002 to 18 in 2007. —Peter Schmidt

Read the entire article at http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2007/06/12/index.html

Presidential Campaigns Create Student Jobs

Job prospects for college graduates are looking up thanks to the 2008 presidential candidates. Eighteen contenders and counting translates into plenty of campaign hiring of promising but untested newcomers, especially in states with early nominating contests. Laurin Manning is taking a break from law school to work as Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's jack-of-all trades, earning about $2,300 a month. Her office walls are bare, and her title for weeks was a work in progress. Read more at:http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/08/ap3803068.html

Life After College - Are you ready?

You've had graduation day visualized in the back of your mind since freshman year and now you find it quickly approaching. Amidst the excitement and enthusiasm also comes a frenzy of emotions that borderline on hysteria. Don't panic. You're not alone -- and you're not going crazy. (more)

Read more at Colleges.com, U Magazine